Electromagnetic surgical instrument



April 1955 F. J. WALLACE LECTROMAGNETIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 18, 1951 INVENTOR. FREDERICK J. WALLACE i 9% ATTORNEY.

2,706,979 ELECTROMAGNETIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Frederick J. Wallace, New York, N. Y., assignor to American Cystoscope Makers, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 18, 1951, Serial No. 206,533 4 Claims. (Cl. 1281.4)

This invention relates to a surgical instrument, and more particularly to an electro-magnetlc surglcal instrument for removing magnetic objects from body passages ready and safe removal of ferro-magnetic objects from body passages. The instrument has its parts bility of damage to the tissue the passage.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide an improved the object, danger of perforating the tissue that defines the body passage.

The invention has for a further object the provision of an electro-magnetic surgical instrument that is relatively small in transverse cross-sectional area, that is invention preferably comprises an elongated tubular member having first and second longitudinal through passages. An electro-magnetic unit, connected to the Patented Apr. 26, 1955 portion of the second passage and forms a fluidtight connection therewith. connector unit is secured to the proximal end of the tubular member and comprises a housing, a conduit carried by the housing and communicatingwith the first corresponding contact elehousing, the housing extenthe tubular bulb is connected to the conduit.

While the member of the instrument.

The objects, as Well as the advantages attainable by the practice of this invention, will be apparent to pertaken in conjunction with the annexed drawing, which respectively describe and illustrate a surgical instrument constructed in accordance with the invention.

In the drawing,

to the drawing, I have illustrated there 10, preferably vinyl chloride longitudinal through passages 11 and 1 An electro-magnetic unit, generally indicated by numeral T3, is connected to the distal end of tubular memmember 14 made of a ferro-magnetic material, such as purified iron, around which there is wound a large number of turns of insulated and relatively fine copper Wire that constitutes The core member is generally circular in transverse cross-section and is provided at its distal end with a rounded extension or tip 17 that projects forwardly beyond the sheath. The core member also has a hollow rearward extension 18 that is externally threaded or otherwise grooved, as indicated at 19 22 in the Secured to is a connector unit wall of the sheath.

the proximal end of tubular member 10 23 which includes a housing tubular member. The housing carries an electric terminal 26 that consists of an electric contact ring 27 and an electric contact post 28 that is co-axial with ring 27 and is spaced therefrom by a rubber insulating sleeve 29. Electric leads 3% and 31 are respectively connecte at one end to contact ring 27 and contact post 28, extend through hollow extension 25, passage 11 and hollow extension 18, and are connected at their other ends to solenoid Also carried by the housing is a conduit 32 that defines a right angle passage 33 of varying diameter. This passage communicates with passage 12 through the medium of a nipple 34 which forms a fluidtight connection between the conduit and tubular member 10. A rubber insutflating bulb 35 (Figure l) is connected to conduit 32.

For the purpose of briefly outlining the mode of operation of the illustrated instrument, it is first assumed that electric terminal 26 is connected to a suitable source of direct current (now shown) and that the current supplied to the instrument is controlled by a switch (not shown). It is also assumed that the instrument is to be used to remove an open ferro-magnetic safety pin that has become lodged in the stomach of an individual. The distal end of the instrument is introduced into the stomach by way of the esophagus, either directly or with the aid of an examining instrument of the character disclosed in I. E. Held Patent 2,479,237, dated August 16, 1949. Upon entry of the instrument in the stomach, bulb 35 is operated to transmit air, by way of conduit 32, nipple 34, passage 12, nipple 20, passage 21 and port 22 into the stomach, thereby inflating the stomach. The instrument is moved and core member 14 is energized, as required, to move position whereby the portion thereof remote from its ends is engageable by core member tip 17. The core member is then ento effect engagement of tip 17 with the pin, and the instrument with the engaged pin is slowly withdrawn, the stomach remaining inflated during withdrawal of the instrument and pin from the stomach.

it is believed that the construction, and advantages of my present invention will however,

may be made of the invention, it

changes in the apparatus without departing from the scope being intended that all matter contained in the description or shown in the drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a surgical instrument for removing a metallic object from a body, a flexible tubular member having first and second longitudinal an electro-magnetic unit connected to the distal end of the tubular member and comprising a sheath having a first conduit establishing communication between its exterior and the first passage, a solenoid wholly within the sheath and a magnetizable core member extending through the solenoid and the distal end of the sheath, a second conduit secured to the proximal end of the tubular member and communicating with the first passage, the opening of the first conduit being disposed said second rearward of the core, conduit being adapted to be connected to a pair of electric contact elements the proximal end of the tubular member, and a pair of electric leads extending through the second passage and their opposite ends to a corresplonding contact element and to the solenoid, respective y.

2. In a surgical instrument for removing a metallic object from a body, a flexible tubular member having first and second longitudinal passages, an electro-magnetic unit connected to the distal end of the tubular member and having a first conduit establishing communication between its exterior and the first passage, said unit comprising a solenoid and a magnetizable core member extending through the solenoid and projecting beyond the distal end of the sheath, the opening of the first conduit being disposed rearward of the core, a connector unit secured to the proximal end of the tubular member and comprising a housing, a second conduit carried by the housing and communicating with the first passage, said conduit being adapted to be connected to an insuiflating bulb, and a pair of electric contact elements secured to the housing, and a pair of electric leads extending through the second passage and connected at their opposite ends to a corresponding contact element and to the solenoid, respectively.

3. In a surgical instrument for removing a metallic object from a body, a flexible tubular member having first and second longitudinal passages, an electro-magnetic unit connected to the distal end of the tubular member and comprising a sheath having a first conduit establishing communication between its exterior passage, a solenoid wholly within the sheath and a magnetizable core member extending through the solenoid and the distal end of the sheath, the opening 0 the first conduit being disposed rearward of the core, a connector unit the proximal end of the tubular member and comprising a housing, conduit carried by the housing and communicating with the first passage, said second conduit being adapted to be connected to an insufliating bulb and a pair of electric contact elements secured to the housing, and a pair of electric leads extending through the second passage and connected at their opposite ends to a corresponding contact element and to the solenoid, respectively.

4. A surgical instrument in accordance with claim 3, wherein the tubular member comprises a plastic material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,253,107 Swingle Ian. 8, 1918 1,307,654 Bergonie June 24, 1919 1,535,618 Mayer Apr. 28, 1925 1,828,141 Back Oct. 20, 1931 2,095,976 Foreman Oct. 19, 1937 

1. IN A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FOR REMOVING A METALLIC OBJECT FROM A BODY, A FLEXIBLE TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND LONGITUDINAL PASSAGES, AND ELECTRO-MAGNETIC UNIT CONNECTED TO THE DISTAL END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND COMPRISING A SHEATH HAVING A FIRST CONDUIT ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ITS EXTERIOR AND THE FIRST PASSAGE, A SOLENOID WHOLLY WITHIN THE SHEATH AND A MAGNETIZABLE CORE MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH THE SOLENOID AND THE DISTAL END OF THE SHEATH, A SECOND CONDUIT SECURED TO THE PROXIMAL END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE FIRST PASSAGE, THE OPENING 